New Delhi: A group of Catholic nuns along with 20 orphans was among those rescued as flood waters ravaged the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.
“A community of Sisters of Navajeevan Vikas with 20 orphan children was stranded without food and water. Just managed to reached them now,” Brother Varghese Theckanath, director of the Montfort Social Institute, told Matters India on October 14 evening.
The Montfort Brother is among those engaged in rescue and relief operations in Hyderabad that suffered the brunt of the damage after receiving record-breaking rainfall
He also said a community of Brothers located in the slum at Chaderghat bridge area is busy in rescue works.
Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in the western and southern part of India on October 14 and killed 35 people across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, India Today reported.
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal which crossed the coast in Kakinada reportedly left behind a trail of destruction in the southern states.
At least 19 people died in Hyderabad following incessant rainfall, which led to waterlogging on roads and inundation of some low-lying areas in the city.
The deaths in Hyderabad were mostly caused by wall and house collapses triggered by the heavy downpour.
According to the meteorological department, the 19.2 cm rainfall in the city on October 14 broke all the previous records. The previous highest was 9.83 cm recorded on October 10, 2013.
The Telangana government declared a holiday on October 14 and 15 for all private institutions, offices, non-essential services within Outer Ring Road in view of the rains. It has also advised people to stay indoors.
Police teams and personnel of Disaster Response evacuated several families from flooded localities, even as rescue efforts were on in many other areas. The Army also joined rescue efforts in Hyderabad.
Several trees and electricity poles were uprooted due to the deluge. Power supply was suspended in most parts of the state capital as a precaution.
Horrifying videos on social media showed Hyderabad completely submerged in water. The water current in some places was so strong it piled cars on top of each other and swept away several people.